One Laptop Per Child: Vision vs. Reality | June 2009 | Communications of the ACM

One Laptop Per Child: Vision vs. Reality | June 2009 | Communications of the ACM: "Diffusion of IT innovation does not depend only on the nature of the innovation itself. Often, more important is the social and cultural environment in which it will operate.3,26 Information technologies are not standalone innovations but system innovations, the value of which depends largely on an ecosystem that includes hardware, applications, peripherals, network infrastructure, and services (such as installation, training, repair, and technical support). Deployment involves training teachers, creating software and digital content, delivering maintenance and support, and sustaining a long-term commitment. Such capabilities are in short supply in developing countries,7,26 and OLPC simply never had the resources to provide them."